Steam & Excursion > Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

Reading the post about the SD&AE tunnel collapse, I started poking around on Google Earth to check out the landscape.  1st of all, is this the line that has the numerous wooden trestles that is currently OOS?

As to the museum, it looks like there are 3 steam locomotives on the propery along with a multitude of other equipment.  I visited their website, but was wondering what my fellow TO members have to say about the museum.

i.e. Are there current ops?  steam?  Which way to they go from Campo?  How many miles are in service?  Are they currently connected to the National network?  Any other details are appreciated.  This is an area and a operation I am completely unfamiliar with.  TIA

Briefly: no steam ops, train goes south to the border and back. When the border tunnel was open, all the way to Tecate in Mexico to the brewery there. Diesel powered. The line connects to the UPline in Plaster City, outside of El Centro. There is no traffic to there.

The line is owned by the San Diego Metro folks, leased out to a Mexican group who want to start ops shipping stuff out of Mexico.

This is the old San Diego & Eastern RR, built by sugar magnet Sprekels. Google “the impossible railroad”, you will get lots of answers.

Posted from iPhone

Check out the web site of the Museum.

We currently operate diesel-powered weekend excursions between MP 65.8 (Campo Depot) and MP 61.6 (Canyon) with occasional trips to MP 66.7, which is the west end of the first trestle east of Campo. This trestle has been out of service since 2008 after an inspection found it needed significant repairs. The International Border is located at MP 59.9 within Tunnel 4. Currently our operation is not considered by the FRA to be connected to the general system as it has been in the past. We have 5 steam locomotives on the property at Campo, with a 6th on display at our La Mesa Depot facility. The Coos Bay Lumber Co. #11 is currently undergoing a long-term operational restoration at Campo.

A slight correction regarding the original posting on the tunnel collapse; we have been aware of the failure of the west portal of tunnel 4 for several years now and it has progressively gotten worse, as additional timber supports and material have collapsed onto the ROW. We have not operated a train into the tunnel for 3-4 years and an excursion to Tecate has not operated since 2009. The tunnel failure wasn't sudden nor did it take anyone by surprise. Tunnel 3, or what is left of day-lighted Tunnel 3, has also been in a state of collapse for several years barricading Baja California Railroad from reaching the International Border at Tunnel 4.

-Jarod



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/19 17:21 by Dave.